Rail-clamp.



K No. 700,103.

- Patented May l3, I902.

A. M WHITE.

RAIL CLAMP.

(Application filed Nov. 30, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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ANDREW M. IV-HITE, OF GRAYLING, MICHIGAN.

RAIL-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1Y0. 700,108, dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed November 30, 1901. Serial No. 84,266. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

7 Be it known that 1, ANDREW M. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing atGrayling, in the county of Crawford and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clamp for railroad-rails; and the main object of the same is to provide a device having connected parts which are simultaneously applicable in op erative position and embodying the salient:

features of a rail-chair. and fish-plates, but

overcoming the disadvantages in construe-l tion and operation of the latter devices, and not only forming a tight or practical securement for the abutting ends of railroad-rails,

over, and thereby also obviate flattening of the Wheels by preventing them from striking.

the joints of the rails.

A further object of the improved deviceis' to strengthen portions of bridges on which railroad-rails are disposed by preventing sinkcome any tendency of the rails'to spread at the joints, the clamp permitting the necessary longitudinal contraction and expansion of the rails to compensate for climatic changes. V

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions of railroad-rails having their ends in contiguity to form a joint and the improved clamp applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the joint and improved device shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the improved clamp shown open and ready to be applied to a rail-joint.

ing or sagging of the rails and also to over- Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The improved clamp comprises two main members 1 and 2, the member 1 having aliaseplate 3, with a side 4 rising vertically above the same and projecting thereover, a groove 5 being formed between the lower edge of the side and the upper surface of the base-plate to receive portions of the base-flanges of conterminously-arranged rails. The inner face 6 of the side 4 is shaped to conform tothe re-- cesses between the rail-flanges and the heads of the rails and to extend upwardly flush with the tread-surfaces of the latter, and the upper edge 7 of the side is constructed as a narrow tread-surface, upon which the car-wheels are adapted to bear in passing over the joint formed by the contiguous rail ends,and there by obviate battering of the ends of the rails and flattening of the car-Wheels and at the same time reduce the noise incident to the wheels traveling over the rail-joints to a minimum. The edge of the base-plate 3 opposite to that from which the side 4 rises is formed with a series of regularly-spaced and similarly-sized slots 8 to produce knuckles 9, having alined apertures extending therethrough and coacting with and adapted to receive knuckles 10, formed on the lower edge of the member 2, said knuckles 10also having alined apertures therethrough corresponding to those of the knuckles 9 and provided with spaces 11 to receive the latter knuckles, the two sets of knuckles being connected by a bolt 11, passed therethrough. By this means the member 2 is hinged to the member 1, so that the entire clamp may be readily applied to rail-joints, it

being seen that the member 2 can be lowered completely below the upper surface of the base-plate 3, and thus clear the latter in such manner as to avoid the least obstruction tothe reception of the base-flanges of the rails arranged in contiguity. The member 2 is also shaped to extend over the rail-flanges and fit in the space between said flanges and the heads of the rails, the upper edgeliljof the member 2 bearing closely against the under overhanging portions of the heads of the rails when the clampis fully applied. The member 2 and the side 4 are also constructed with a corresponding number of bolt-holes 13, which aline with each other and also similar holes in the rail ends to receive bolts 14:.

In applying the improved clamp the member 2 is opened,so as to permitthe base-plate 301: the member 1 to he slipped under the contiguous rail ends, and after the said member 1 has been fully'applied the member 2 is turned up against the opposite side portions of the railends and the bolts Minserted to firmly lock the clamp in applied position.

It will be seen that the improvedclamp embodies in a single structure which may be simultaneously applied a fish-plate and a chair, and as the rail ends are prevented from having the sagging or sinking movement, in view of the extended base-rest afiorded by the base-plate 3, the bolts 14 willbeless liable to loosen, and in the use of the device on bridges, trestles, and the like the ties or crossbeams will be strengthened and the vibration or injury due to movement of the rails at the joints will be reduced to a minimum, and thereby relieve bridges or the like from considerable of the wearing strain now commonly prevalent.

It is proposed to construct the improved device of such metal as will be best adapted for the purpose, and for certain applications changes in the proportions, dimensions, and

minor details may he resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle of the'invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A clamp of the class set forthcomprising a member having a horizontal base-plate with an inwardly-extending side running above the same and continuing into a vertical element with an upper edge 7 constructed as a narrow tread-surface to lie flush with the upper surface of the heads of the rails to which the device is applied, a groove being formed between the inwardly-projecting portion of the side and the base-plate, the latter having knuckles atits opposite edge, a movable member hinged to the said knuckles and conforming in shape to the flanges and recesses of the rails and of less vertical extent than the opposite rigid side, and bolts extending through the movable member and side and forming the sole means ofsecurement of the clamp to the rails, the base-plate terminating at the point where the knuckles are formed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW M. WHITE.

\Vitnesses:

LOUIS CHEVALIER, ARCHIE O. ll'ICKINNON. 

